Further, Dwight Freeney and Malcom Floyd not returning from injury would be a blow but also would clear about $6 million from the books. A 34-year-old linebacker coming back from a quadriceps injury is a lot to bank on, though the Chargers could pay Freeney’s $500,000 roster bonus in March and hope for the best. There is no indication whether Floyd can come back from the neck injury that ended his season in September.

The Chargers might also look to restructure the salaries of right guard Jeromey Clary, who is due $4.55 million ($6.25 cap number). And while they seem inclined to pay center Nick Hardwick's $3.4 million base salary and $1 million roster bonus after he had a Pro Bowl-worthy year, there remains the possibility he could walk away from the game after 10 seasons, leaving a gigantic hole but clearing $4.4 million in cap space.

Restructuring the contracts of Philip Rivers ($16.66 million cap hit) and/or Eric Weddle ($10.1 million cap hit) are also options.

As for Johnson, $4 million in salary ($5.5 million cap hit) is a lot to pay a 33-year-old linebacker coming off a season in which he missed five games to injury. But Johnson is beloved in the locker room and is especially influential amongst the team’s young linebackers.

It should all make for an interesting winter and spring.

It is commendable how well the new regime did remodeling this roster this year, patching it together almost well enough to make it a playoff team, even as they knew their rebuilding project would extend to ’14 and beyond.

As their second phase of construction is set to begin, they have financial flexibility.